MLB Player News

Votto went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Blue Jays.

He gave the Reds a quick lead in the top of the first inning with his 14th homer of the year and second in as many games, although it didn't hold up. Votto's BABIP is about 100 points lower than the level he's established over the last two seasons, but his .986 OPS is right in line with his 2015-16 performances, so the drastic increase in his flyball rate that's fueling his power spike hasn't harmed his overall production -- even if it's changed the shape of that production from a fantasy perspective.

Carter is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Orioles.

With a .629 OPS over 119 plate appearances this season, Carter hasn't provided the pop the Yankees were banking on after he assumed a regular starting role at first base earlier this month following Greg Bird's (ankle) placement on the disabled list. Bird is set to begin a rehab assignment Thursday and could come off the DL and settle into an everyday role as soon as next week, but Carter may lose out on primary starting duties at the position even before then. Carter finds himself on the bench for the second straight game Wednesday with recent call-up Rob Refsnyder earning another nod at first base.

Bour went 2-for-2 with two walks, a double and a run scored in Tuesday's win over the Phillies.

His outstanding May continues, and Bour now has a .341/.429/.681 slash line on the month with nine homers, 18 RBI and 16 runs -- and one day to go. The first baseman's current .919 OPS would be the highest of his career if he can keep it up.

Cabrera went 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored and an RBI in Tuesday's extra-inning win over the Brewers.

He seems to be fully recovered from his thumb injury, and Cabrera now has six hits, four runs and three RBI in his last three games. The veteran shortstop now has a .265/.338/.390 slash line, which is in line with his career numbers, but he may need to pick up the pace to keep his job with Wilmer Flores hitting well on the Mets' bench and top prospect Amed Rosario tearing up Triple-A.

Bell is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Diamondbacks.

With two teams playing a day game after a night game, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle will give Bell a breather in the series finale, marking his first day off since May 11. The move to the bench could do some good for Bell, who had gone on a home-run binge in mid May before closing out the month with a whimper. Over his last 11 games, Bell has gone 6-for-43 (.140 average) with no home runs and two RBI. Jose Osuna takes Bell's spot at first base.

Votto went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Tuesday's loss in Toronto.

Votto took the first pitch he saw from J.A. Happ over the center field fence, going back-to-back with teammate Zack Cozart. Votto has heated up in May, hitting .308 and posting an OPS of 1.016. His 13 long balls and 40 RBI rank seventh and sixth, respectively, in the National League. Look for him to continue to be one of the best first base options in baseball.

Votto has already popped out six times this season after averaging 4.6 infield flies per season over his career, MLB.com's Keegan Matheson reports.

In the past Votto has assiduously avoided pop-ups, as they are near-certain outs. Has he changed his approach to get more loft in his swing, or is this more of a statistical anomaly? The trend across baseball has been to encourage more of a loft among power hitters - the consequence of which usually is to add more power at the expense of batting average.

Carter is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Orioles, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Carter has just six hits (albeit three home runs) over the past two weeks, so he'll head to the bench for a night off Tuesday. Rob Refsnyder will fill in at first base for the evening.

Flores went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Monday's 4-2 win over the Brewers.

Flores has done nothing but hit in part-time duty for the Mets in 2017. He's hitting .313 on the year in 100 plate appearances, a stat buoyed by his .393 average in May. The 25-year-old's lofty .333 BABIP screams regression, given his career .276 mark, but Flores can play all around the infield and should remain a nice utility player to own in deeper leagues.

Gurriel is out of the lineup Monday against the Twins.

Gurriel has started three in a row at first base and six of the last seven games overall, but will give way to Marwin Gonzalez for the afternoon showdown in Minnesota. Despite a bit of a May slump, Gurriel had a strong day at the plate Sunday, going 2-for-4 with two RBI.